


The Way to a Man's Heart

by alittlewicked



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hogwarts, Baking, Dessert & Sweets, Fluff and Angst, Hufflepuff Louis, Hufflepuff Niall, M/M, Niall Horan-centric, Nouis, Slytherin Harry Styles, also about nouis because I'm nouis trash, angsty niall, nouis trash, this is like the House Cup but with food
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-28
Updated: 2019-04-28
Packaged: 2020-02-09 06:35:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,873
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18632770
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alittlewicked/pseuds/alittlewicked
Summary: “Oh, for God’s sake, Niall!”Jerking violently, Niall ripped himself loose with a wet suckling noise and turned around to stare at Louis like a deer caught in the headlights. Not that any wizard or witch would know what that looked like. Anyway. He could barely make out his friend’s disapproving frown in the low light.“Fraternizing with the enemy? Very Granger of you but save it for when we’ve won this damn Cup!”***A Hogwarts AU with a lot of sweets and desserts, a lot of angst on Niall's side, and a whole lot of Hufflepuff!Nouis friendship.





	The Way to a Man's Heart

**Author's Note:**

  * For [niallerisababe](https://archiveofourown.org/users/niallerisababe/gifts).



> Dear niallerisababe,  
> you gave me some really great prompts and although I'm literally unable to come up with more angst than what you can find below, I hope it is still angsty enough for your tastes!  
> Narry was definitely way out of my usual writing premises, so I hope you'll like it anyway!
> 
> Thanks to my sis who is betaing anything I throw at her, so cheers for that!

**The Way to a Man’s Heart**

 

*

 

“Oh, for God’s sake, Niall!”

Jerking violently, Niall ripped himself loose with a wet suckling noise and turned around to stare at Louis like a deer caught in the headlights. Not that any wizard or witch would know what that looked like. Anyway. He could barely make out his friend’s disapproving frown in the low light.

“Fraternizing with the enemy? Very Granger of you but save it for when we’ve won this damn Cup!” Making a grab for a jar just left of where Niall was frozen in shock, Louis turned around on his heel and stormed back out from between the large shelves around them.

Niall could practically feel the other boy behind him smirking.

“Enemy, huh?” From the corners of his eyes, he could see the curly-haired brunette licking his plump lower lip. Openly leering at Niall from the shadows. “Didn’t feel exactly hostile just now.”

Hastily wiping his mouth, Niall made a grab for the nutmeg that he originally came for and stormed after Louis.

“But that’s exactly what everyone thinks we are, H.” With that, he left the other boy behind and forced himself to not look back at where he was leaning casually against the heavy oak shelves.

Shaking his head to chase away any lingering thoughts that had nothing to do with what lay ahead of him, Niall stepped out of the shadows and into the glaring lights.

Well, if that imagery wasn’t ironic, he didn’t know what was.

But if he had any say in it, this would be the last time he was kept a secret, only good enough for a quick snog in an alcove or abandoned corridor.

He deserved love and some goddam PDA.

 

*

 

_3 tablespoons ground cinnamon_  
_2 teaspoons ground ginger_  
_2 teaspoons ground nutmeg_  
_1 1/2 teaspoons ground allspice_  
_1 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves_

  
_Place all ingredients in a jar and shake it to mix the ingredients up completely._

 

*

 

As most things were wont to do in the wizarding world of the British Isles, Niall’s current predicament could be directly traced back to the Chosen One himself. Sure, the man had saved them all from certain death and destruction. And in Niall’s particular case probably some very nasty intermediate stages considering that he was a Muggle-born wizard attending Hogwarts.

But he surely wouldn’t be faced with this latest problem if it wasn’t for Harry Potter.

In a series of twists and turns of events, the Saviour of the wizarding world had ended up married to his former arch nemesis and ex-pureblood elitist Draco Malfoy. Good for them, Niall wasn’t really in a position to judge. Those Slytherins sure did have their appeal from time to time. Anyway.

Although the couple tended to keep private matters private – much to the chagrin of Witch Weekly readers across all of the Isles – some things became public knowledge if they wanted it to or not. But some things could not have been helped being overheard when both men were constantly bickering and squabbling about their marital affairs in the acoustically effective halls of Hogwarts (because a discreet Muffliato now and then would be too much to ask).

Such as the fact that Mr Potter had introduced his spouse to the wonders of Muggle television early on in their courtship. More specifically to cooking shows. And that they had the pure-blood wizard hooked from episode 001. Which would not affect Niall in the slightest possible way if Draco Malfoy had just been the private Mr Malfoy-Potter that his husband wished him to be. Loud nagging about socks left lying around or a recent developed obsession with a newly discovered Muggle sweets left aside.

But no. Draco Malfoy-Potter had sought for a way to atone the errors of his teenage years and give back to society in a meaningful way. And he found his calling in teaching Potions at Hogwarts. Until a few years ago when he succeeded a McGonagall as the Headmaster at the School for Witchcraft and Wizardry.

And even this would not bother Niall. Sure, he did not care for knowing about the inner workings of the Malfoy-Potter household which was inescapable while both taught at Hogwarts. But there were no better suited individuals to teach Potions as well as Defence Against the Dark Arts than Draco and Harry.

But the fact that Professor Malfoy-Potter apparently had spent the last summer holidays binge watching every cookery programme there was. And then returning for the new school year inspired by all those highly entertaining kitchen competitions to decide that in addition to the normal Quidditch Tournament and House Cup, Hogwarts would host a cooking contest as well.

Which still wouldn’t be Niall’s personal problem and could – objectively speaking, of course – have been fun even from a safe distance to the hearth if he had been sitting in the ranks of the audience.

Then again, he was friends with one Louis Tomlinson. Fellow Hufflepuff student. Eternal nuisance. The AK to Niall’s last nerve and patience. And his best friend since Day One when his younger self, shaking with nerves and intimidated beyond measure by this new world full of magic opening up to him, stepped onto the Hogwarts Express for the first time.

And on this one sunny day in September, two boys had bonded over their shared Muggle background and their love for everything sweet. To say that they lost their minds over the Honeydukes Express and raided the trolley like they had been starved for days would be an understatement.

But who could have faulted them in the face of Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Beans, Cauldron Cakes, Chocolate Frogs (“Quick, Niall! Catch it! It’s trying to escape!”), Drooble’s Best Blowing Gum, Jelly Slugs, Liquorice wands, and Pumpkin Pasties – never forget the Pumpkin Pasties!

Anyway. This was how Niall Horan, aged 16 years and four weeks, was standing at the front of the Great Hall and looking out at the four House Tables, still glimmering and glittering under the light of the ominously flickering candles floating in mid-air after the start of term banquet.

Sweating buckets from the weight of hundreds of gazes upon him and struggling to breathe with Louis’ arm tightly wrapped around his neck. Celebrating their nomination as team of champions to represent Hufflepuff at the hearth.

 

*

 

_2 cups of milk_  
_3 tablespoons pumpkin puree_  
_3 tablespoons sugar_  
_1 tablespoon vanilla extract_  
_1/2 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice_  
_1/2 cup strong hot coffee_  
_Whipped cream_

  
_Warm up the milk, pumpkin puree, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and vanilla extract in a saucepan, but don’t boil the mixture. Whisk it vigorously until it’s foamy._

  
_Pour the coffee into 2 large mugs and divide the milk mixture between them as well. Top it off with whipped cream._

 

*

 

It first started around Halloween in Niall’s fifth year. This was when they first got to know each other. Intimately even, over time.

Louis and he had been sneaking into the kitchens practically since day one. Not like you could expect anything less from two curious boys let loose in a magical school that were mad for food and sweets as the both of them were.

And what with the entrance to Hufflepuff’s common room being just right around the corner of the kitchen corridor – it was really easy in those first few days to get (deliberately) lost. Also, a pear that wanted to be tickled to turn into a large green door handle to grant entrance to the best part of Hogwarts? Literal piece of cake.

Both of them grew up with the tales of Alice in Wonderland and the wonders of Disney. Not like the wizarding world reinvented the wheel there.

But the Hogwarts kitchens left them both reeling and in awe.

The enormous room with his high ceiling that was a perfect mirror image of the Great Hall above it. The glittering and gleaming brass pots and pans that were shined to perfection and hung around the mighty stone walls. The great brick fireplace at one end crackling and roaring. And the ever-bustling house-elves swarming around.

It had felt like a home away from home the minute he set foot into the kitchens.

Niall and Louis had spent a great deal of time among the house-elves, learning from them and in turn teaching them one or two Muggle tricks along the way.

And it was here that he met him.

Harry.

Brown, luscious curls that Niall just wanted to bury his fingers in. Plump, rosy lips that tasted better than the best chocolate cake Niall ever had the pleasure of devouring. A wicked tongue that did things to Niall’s insides – no matter if it just traced along that delicious bottom lip or gently teased Niall with clever words or tricks. The boy with the sweetest smile he had ever seen.

Harry.

The one who shared his fascination for complicated recipes, loved to discover new tastes with him, and had a penchant for feeding Niall the best bites of whatever they ate.

Harry.

Potions prodigy. Proud and dependable Slytherin prefect. Proud and ambitious. And heir to the Styles family, one of the last pure-blood families, that still had some hang-ups about Muggles and Muggle-borns if the way their first encounters were studded with derisive comments and insults.

Harry.

Who took a few weeks of creeping on Niall from the shadows of the kitchen like the Slytherin that he was. Watching Niall joke around with the house-elves and listening to him laugh his heart out before taking him up on easy bantering instead of mean taunting. Watching him create cakes and cookies with his Muggle ways and his Muggle recipes and Muggle ingredients. And gobbling them down like they were the last treats on earth.

Harry.

The one that declared them in a full on war of taste buds.

So every time that they could both sneak off from their common rooms and secretly meet up in the kitchens, one would make a dessert for the other one for so long until one would declare the other the ultimate master chef or master pastry chef rather.

He would never admit it to Harry’s face but his treacle tart was really to die for and he’d eat nothing else for the rest of his life if he could.

Niall had more fun during those few hours with Harry than anytime else. And he had some very hilarious friends, dorm-mates, and a Louis. But they had nothing on Harry.

Harry, who he had been slowly but surely falling in love with for the last year.

And who had been smirking at him after the start of term banquet in that special way that made Niall want to drop his pants right there between the five tables identical to the ones in the Great Hall above them.

“So I guess we’ll finally get a winner.” Leaning in, he licked into Niall’s mouth. Hard, fast. As if they never had enough time. Just stolen moments between classes, hidden behind the painting of a fruit bowl.

“Winner gets to make a wish?”

Gazing into those beautiful green eyes that he came to hold so dearly, Niall knew exactly what he wanted.

To finally be able to take this boy’s hand to lead him out of the kitchens and the shadowy hallways of the dungeons to let everyone know how happy he made him. How in love they were – pureblood dreamboat of a wizard and Muggle-born dreamer just waiting to wake up.

 

*

 

_120 g ground almonds_  
_200 g powdered sugar_  
_1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice_  
_3 large egg whites_  
_50 g white granulated sugar_  
  
_1/2 cup butter_  
_1 teaspoon vanilla extract_  
_1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon_  
_a sprinkle of ground nutmeg_  
_2 cups powdered sugar_  
_3 tablespoons pumpkin puree_  
_1/4 cup caramel sauce_

_For the batter, mix up the almond flour, powdered sugar, and pumpkin spice. Whisk the egg whites and granulated sugar for a few minutes until stiff peaks form, then add the meringue to the dry ingredients. Fold the meringue up from the bottom and for as long until the batter reaches ribbon stage. It should settle back down onto itself within 10 seconds. Use a pastry bag to pipe 1 to 1 1/2 inch disks of batter onto baking sheets, with an inch between them._

_Let the cookies set for 1 hour at room temperature and allow them to form a thin shell on the outside. Bake the macarons at 160 °C for 17 to 18 minutes until they have a light golden edge. Let them cool completely on the pan._

_For the buttercream, whisk together the softened butter, vanilla and spices until the butter is fluffy. Add the sugar gradually while whisking on high speed for 2 to 3 minutes. Mix in the pumpkin puree last. If the buttercream begins to separate, add an additional 1/2 of powdered sugar._

_Pair the macaron shells by size and pipe the buttercream around the edge of the cookies with a pastry bag. Leave a bit of space in the middle to add in some caramel sauce, then top with the second half. Store the macarons air-tight in the refrigerator for 2 days for them to mature._

 

*

 

“So I think we should really go the Muggle-born route all the way. Introduce them to some good, ol’ Starbucks tooth-rotting sweetness. How about some Pumpkin Spice Latte and then a whole bunch of pumpkin pie spice desserts?” Niall had still not worked through the idea of being part of this competition when Louis had started to brainstorm as soon as they had gotten back to their dorm room after the banquet.

“You know, like a holy trinity. We could do those macarons that you found on Pinterest last Christmas break?” Humming, Niall had climbed into bed. His mind half a dungeon away with that devilish smirk that had greeted him when the champions for Slytherin House had been proclaimed.

Not that his absent-mindedness had ever deterred Louis in the slightest. They had been friends for too long for the other to make a deal about Niall spacing out for some time. He just clambered up into Niall’s four-poster after him and got comfortable cuddled up to him.

“And I bet Professor Malfoy-Potter would be a damn hipster if he knew what that was. Let’s also do that pumpkin spice chia pudding we had that one weekend up in Manchester when you came to visit me!”

Niall hadn’t seen Harry at all over the summer break. He couldn’t help but wonder where that left the both of them. Were they still something to each other, even though Niall hadn’t the slightest clue as of what he was to Harry in any capacity. He had just missed him so much over the last few weeks.

“Fudge,” had it broken out of him. “We should do some pumpkin spice fudge as the third component.” Harry loved fudge. The more atrocious the flavour, the better.

Louis stared at him disbelievingly from where he was nestled in Niall’s pillows.

“But you hate that! You always rant about how fudge does not deserve to be called a sweet! Because something that sticks your teeth together comes straight from hell!” The stare had only intensified.

And Niall had just gazed up at the yellow and black canopy above them, because how could he even begin to explain to his best friend where that sudden fondness of fudge came from?

‘So. Louis. Tommo. I’ve been kind of dating Harry Styles for a year without anyone knowing. Because his family is still stuck on the whole pureness of blood crap and his twin sister would AK his arse back home if she caught a whiff of Muggle-born on him.’

Yeah. Not going to happen.

Exhaling loudly, Louis rolled onto his back before snuggling closer to him.

“Okay, we’ll do fudge. We better win this. I want to rub it into all their faces that Hufflepuffs are the baddest bitches in Hogwarts. They just don’t know it yet.”

Chuckling, Niall had let his eyes fall closed.

“We’re so going to win this, Lou!”

He had a wish to win after all.

 

*

 

_1/4 cup chia seeds_  
_1/2 cup coconut milk_  
_1/2 cup almond milk_  
_2 tablespoons maple syrup_  
_1/4 cup pumpkin puree_  
_1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice_  
_1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract_  
_Coconut yogurt and whipped coconut cream_

  
_Mix everything together in a bowl for 1 to 2 minutes. Cover the pudding and place it in the fridge to firm up for about two hours up to overnight. Before serving, top it off with coconut yogurt or whipped coconut cream._

 

*

 

“You know, you could have told me.” Louis was decidedly not looking at him while measuring out the pumpkin pie spice for the macarons.

Uncomfortably, Niall shifted from foot to foot. Not knowing what to say, if he should deny whatever Louis thought he knew from catching them with locked lips. Or if he should just remain silent… in dubio pro reo? Did that also apply in the same in the wizarding world? He just focused all the harder on dissolving sugars in a heavy brass saucepan at their workstation.

He had to give it to Professor Malfoy-Potter: he went all out for this pastry contest. At the head of the Great Hall where normally, the High Table was located, there stood four large hearths, decked out in the House colour of their competing champions. They were positioned opposite their House Tables, so that every pair of champions could be cheered on directly by their housemates: Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Slytherin, Hufflepuff.

And the noise was indeed deafening at times. Like waves, the cheering would ebb and flow around the Great Hall, each House solely focused on their champions. The Hufflepuffs obviously for Louis and Niall, their notorious in with the house-elves that had provided the House parties over the years with many treats and delicacies.

Then the Slytherins with their pride and joy – the Styles twins Gemma and Harry. Ravenclaw with two fifth year girls, Jade and Leigh-Anne, who Niall didn’t know personally. But he’s heard of their unicorn poop cheesecake and aside from betting on at least one of them having Muggle relatives, he knew serious competition when he saw it. And then there was Gryffindor with their mate Ed and his girlfriend Anne-Marie shouting instructions at each other while concocting a firewhiskey tiramisu.

And although this contest would be tougher than their O.W.L.S. last year, Niall would enjoy his time at the hearth while he still could.

The workstations were made up of a heavy, wooden worktops – perfect for slicing, dicing, and kneading on them. They also had crackling open fires for cooking and melting and caramelising. And then there was the oven. Niall would kill to have such a beauty at home for his more personal experiments. They were replicates from the ones the house-elves used in the kitchens below, but smaller. He couldn’t wait to place the macarons in there.

“Seriously, Nialler. Why didn’t you tell me you and Styles were a thing?” Now he could practically feel Louis’ gaze boring into the side of his head. So denying would not work. Then back to keeping quiet.

Covertly, he stole a gaze over to their neighbouring hearth where Harry had joined his sister Gemma once more and was kneading dough… or more like sensually stroking it. With his hands. Since when did Harry use his hands for baking? Pure-blood snob always used spells, even when measuring out ingredients. And did he imagine that just now or had the tosser just wink at him?

Suddenly, he was grabbed by the back of his robe and pulled back from the stove.

“For god’s sake, Niall stop flirting and burning the sugar! We got a competition to win!” Louis ripped the saucepan from his hand and levitated it over to the sink where he let it drop carelessly.

“Just so we’re clear: you are my best friend. You can snog and shag and whatever whoever you want. And even though Styles is a massive prat, I’m the last one to make a fuss about him being in Slytherin. Would definitely be hypocritical of me with Liam being a Gryffindor and Zayn in Slytherin.”

Pulling Niall in a bone-crushing hug, he pressed a loving kiss to his forehead.

“But can you put that aside for today and help me win this? I know we can do it and get Professor Malfoy-Potter hooked on the wonders of Muggle pumpkin pie spice and win this thing! And then we’ll get you your man! Not like he could resist that sweet smile of yours and a little bit of pumpkin spice latte!”

Niall could only hold onto him then.

A tear racing down his cheek.

“Tommo…”

Louis was such a damn Hufflepuff.

Just and loyal.

Honest and impartial.

And his very best friend.

From the corner of his eye, he could make out Harry, having stopped baking all together and watching them, a heavy frown marring his beautiful face.

 

*

 

_2 cups sugar_  
_1 cup brown sugar_  
_3/4 cup butter_  
_2/3 cup evaporated milk_  
_1/2 cup pumpkin puree_  
_1 1/2 pumpkin pie spice_  
_350 g white chocolate chips_  
_200 g marshmallow cream_  
_1 cup chopped pecans or macadamia nuts_  
_1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract_

_Cook the sugars, butter, milk, pumpkin puree, and spice in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. When the sugars have dissolved, continue cooking until the mixture begins to boil while stirring constantly. Boil until a candy thermometer reaches about 115 °C. The total boiling time is around 30 minutes._

_After removing it from the heat, stir in the white chips until they are melted and the mixture is smooth. Mix in the remaining marshmallow cream, nuts, and vanilla extract. Pour the fudge into a pan and cool it down to room temperature before cutting it into squares. Store it refrigerated in an air-tight container._

 

*

 

After their heart-to-heart, they put their noses to the grindstone. Before they knew it, the pumpkin spice fudge and chia pudding were chilling under their very own “fridge spell”, a combination of a _Glacius_ spell and a stasis charm.

The coffee was brewing and the macarons baking. They were perfectly on time with their pumpkin trilogy, when Professor Malfoy-Potter decided to mix the whole ordeal up a little bit and cast a Sonorus on himself.

“Witches and wizards! I hope you’re enjoying this tournament as much as I do! And before you scream yourselves hoarse, let’s get to know our champions better, now shall we?”

Chuckling under his breathe, Niall did not really listen to how their Potions teacher grilled each contestant about why they thought they deserved the win. Someone had definitely watched too much Muggle television.

Niall did not really pay attention to their surroundings then, fully concentrated on filling the macarons and matching suitable tops to bottoms. He even blended out Harry who hadn’t taken his eyes off him for longer than absolutely necessary since the impromptu Hufflepuff cuddle session earlier.

So he startled terribly and nearly tossed his brass mixing bowl at Professor Malfoy-Potter, when the man suddenly appeared in his line of sight, smirking at them.

“Mister Horan and Mister Tomlinson, so what are you preparing for us today?” Elegantly leaning against their workstation, the older man dipped his forefinger into a pot waiting to be rinsed and popped the digit into his mouth.

Niall could only stare. No wonder Harry Potter fell for this man. He was a tease if Niall had ever seen one. And he’d been sneaking around with one Harry Styles. So that’s saying something.

That’s when Louis sidled up next to him, mirroring the professor’s pose.

“We’ll blow your mind with the wonders of Starbucks and a whole lot of pumpkin pie spice! The rest is a surprise until later.” He even threw in a smirk of his own, cockily eyeing the former Malfoy heir.

Chuckling, the older man focused his attention on the other Hufflepuff.

“Now, Mr Horan, tell me: who is the best cook among the eight of you?” The headmaster leaned forward a little bit, fixating him with a clear grey gaze, and making him unable to come up with anything other but the most undiplomatic answer a Hufflepuff has ever given since Cedric Diggory confessed to wanting to win the Triwizard Tournament for his own gain. The nerve.

“I reckon me,” he shrugged, Louis cackling loudly into his ear.

Professor Malfoy-Potter smirked at him: “Confident, Mr Horan. I like it!”

Niall chanced a glance over at the Slytherin hearth, where Harry was smiling softly down at his tart.

 

*

 

_350 g flour_  
_2 tablespoons sugar_  
_1 teaspoons salt_  
_280 g butter_  
_7 tablespoons cold water_  
_1 cup golden syrup_  
_2 1/2 cups fresh breadcrumbs_  
_1 lemon_  
_1 egg_  
_1 tablespoon water_

  
_Cut the butter into small cubes and layer them on a plate to cool them for about 15 minutes in the freezer. Meanwhile, mix 2/3 of the flour, the sugar, and salt. Add the butter cubes until the dough begins to clump._

_Sprinkle the remaining flour on top and mix until the dough is just barely broken. Sprinkle 5 to 7 tablespoons of cold water onto the dough. Then fold and press it with a rubber spatula until it comes together. Form a ball and divide it into two parts where one is a bit larger than the other. Wrap them separately in plastic foil and refrigerate them for at least 2 hours._

_Preheat the oven to 200 °C. Roll out the larger disc onto a lightly floured surface into a circle large enough to cover the bottom and the edges of the pie form. Place the pastry sheet into the dish. Roll out the second disc into a circle of about 3 mm thickness and a diameter of about 23 cm. Cut it up into long strips for the lattice topping._

_For the filling, warm up the golden syrup in a small saucepan until it is runny. Mix the syrup, the breadcrumbs, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Pour the filling into the pie dish and level the top. Place half of the strips over the filling in one direction and the other half in the other direction to form a lattice. Mix the egg and water, brush the mixture onto the lattice and the edges of the pie._

_Bake the tart for 10 minutes at 200 °C, then reduce the heat to 190 °C for another 25 minutes of baking until the crust is golden brown and the filling puffs up._

 

*

 

Time flew by and before Niall knew, they had plated their desserts and presented them to the jury. Now, the whole teaching staff as well as the Professors Malfoy-Potter and Malfoy-Potter each had four plates in front of them to judge.

He had Louis’ right hand clutched between both of his, and felt his forehead go clammy with cold sweat. This was way worse than the O.W.L.S.

Logically, he knew that their sweets were perfect: the coffee deliciously sweet and tangy, the macarons fluffy, the chia pudding full-bodied, and the fudge sugary and perfectly gooey. But their opponents were crafty and definitely skilled in the kitchen. He never was one to over-estimate himself – that was always Louis’ job.

Louis in turn was vibrating out of his skin next to him, wiggling in place and muttering for them to hurry up.

And when they began awarding points, Niall completely blacked out. He was only vaguely aware of the tinkling sound of the colourful stones clattering down the hourglasses similar to the ones used for the House Cup.

He was still stuck on the glittering and glimmering of rubies tumbling into one hourglass for Gryffindor and even more sapphires for Ravenclaw. Then there was a neck-and-neck race between the ominously shining emeralds raining down for Slytherin and the yellow diamonds awarded for Hufflepuff.

Then, from one second to the next, the world was noise. The Great Hall was aflame in cheer and applause, roaring and soaring up into the vaulted ceiling that grew bright with fireworks bursting across the sky.

Dimly, he heard Professor Malfoy-Potter’s Sonorus congratulate them, echoing over the clamour around them.

He found himself with Louis in his arms, jumping around and yelling into his ear.

“We did it, Nialler! We won! Take that, tossers, we won that damn cup!”

Slowly, realization dawned on Niall. They really did it, they bested the other House champions. Outdid them.

And that meant, he could ask Harry for a wish. Could ask for them to be together. Openly, for all to see, without any more hiding and sneaking around.

He had barely broken out of Louis’ arms, hurriedly looking around for the Slytherin when Harry appeared before him.

“Harry…,” he was reaching for the other boy, eyes pleading.

But before he could even ask for anything, even form a proper thought, Harry had wrapped him up in his arms.

“I’m so proud of you, darling!”

And then he was kissing him.

Out in the open, for everyone to see.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Comments and kudos are greatly appreciated!
> 
> You can find the recipes I borrowed for this fic here:
> 
> \+ [Pumpkin Spice Latte Chia Pudding](https://choosingchia.com/pumpkin-spice-latte-chia-pudding/)  
> \+ [Pumpkin Spice Macarons](https://tatyanaseverydayfood.com/recipe-items/pumpkin-spice-macarons/)  
> \+ [Pumpkin Spice Fudge](https://www.justapinch.com/recipes/dessert/candy/pumpkin-spice-fudge.html)  
> \+ [Pumpkin Spice Latte](https://www.hotbeautyhealth.com/food/homemade-pumpkin-spice-latte-recipe/)  
> \+ [Harry Potter Treacle Tart](https://whereismyspoon.co/harry-potters-treacle-tart/)


End file.
